LaMerle Bender Butler

LaMerle Bender Butler died on December 6, 2003, in Brenham. She was born in Spring, Texas on July 14,1914, the daughter of Adolph and Edna Bender. She graduated from Palestine High School in 1931 and then attended Sam Houston State Teachers College in Huntsville. LaMerle taught business courses at public schools in Ganado, Sugarland and Humble. During World War II LaMerle was employed by the US Army at Fort Patrick Henry in Virginia and later at the Houston Veteran’s Administration Hospital. She then became a homemaker and lived in Houston, Tulsa, Calgary, LaVeta, Colorado and Panorama Village, Texas. After the death of her husband, William W. Butler in 1993, she moved to Kruse Memorial Village in Brenham.

LaMerle Butler was an enthusiastic volunteer for a variety of charitable and religious organizations. But her greatest love was her volunteer work with children and youth. She organized recreational programs for children at her summer residence, LaVeta, Colorado, and also mentored children at Brenham Elementary School and Brenham Junior High. The Brenham ISD honored her as mentor of the year.

She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, William R. and Bernadette Butler of Humble; two daughters and sons-in-law, Marge and Robert Bradford of Tyler and Brenda and William C. Hardt of Brenham; grandchildren, Merrilynn Jones of Tyler, Kendyl Truettner of Colorado, Alice Dorsey of Pearland, Emily Hardt of Cambridge Massachusetts, Austin Hardt of Brenham; and twelve great-grandchildren.

A Service in celebration of the life of LaMerle Butler will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday December 7, 2003 in the First United Methodist Church with Dr. Wesley Welborn and Dr. John Wesley Hardt officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until service time at the church. Burial and graveside service will be held on Monday December 8, 2003 at 11:00 a.m. in Brookside Memorial Park, 13401 Eastex Freeway, Houston, Texas.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be directed to the Boys and Girls Club of Bellville, P.O. Box 1145, Bellville, TX 77418.

Funeral services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St, Brenham. 979-836-3611